For the past year, Siloam Hospitals Lippo Village has been administering apheresis therapy to dozens of patients suffering from a wide range of autoimmune diseases. Thanks to apheresis therapy, it is now possible for a person suffering from an autoimmune disease to have an improved quality of life with several therapy sessions. Gaining understanding of this therapy is essential and may help save your life or those around you.

What is apheresis therapy?

Apheresis therapy is a medical procedure that involves removing blood from a patient and separating the blood into individual components i.e. platelets, white blood cells and red blood cells so that one particular component can be removed. After the removal of that specific component, the remaining blood components are then returned to the person’s body. However, depending on the blood component that is being removed, different processes are involved in apheresis therapy, such as: plasmapheresis for the removal of plasma, leukopheresis for the removal of leukocytes and plateletpheresis for the removal of platelets. Siloam Hospitals are working on getting a license for plasmapheresis donoring, which will be very helpful during the dengue season. Even though apheresis therapy is not widely known, this therapy is a very safe procedure that can be used for the treatment of certain medical conditions as well as the collection of blood components from a donor. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center, US, the apheresis machine and procedure have been evaluated and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Therefore, patients do not have to worry about the therapy being unsafe.

What is the difference between apheresis and dialysis?

Both apheresis and dialysis remove blood in a similar way, but they serve different purposes. In apheresis therapy, blood is separated into “blood components” where some of the components are removed from the patient’s body. On the other hand, a dialysis machine, also known as the artificial kidney, is used in a process known as haemodialysis. Haemodialysis is a way of cleansing blood from toxins, salt and fluid through a dialysis machine. Dialysis is also known as the “artificial kidney” because it is a form of kidney replacement therapy used by patients whose kidneys are no longer functional. However, unlike dialysis, apheresis does not replace kidney functions.

What are some possible side effects and/or complications of apheresis?

Serious complications are rare. However, possible complications include bleeding and allergic reactions. So if there is a possibility of an allergic reaction, doctors will usually advise their patients to take some medications prior to the therapy. In terms of side effects of apheresis, the most common is lightheadedness and exhaustion after a procedure. Apheresis has side effects because during the process, the patient’s blood pressure is lower than usual. However, these issues can usually be resolved quickly and patients can get back to their normal activities.

What are some contraindications to apheresis?

Apheresis is not advisable for patients who have an active infection, unstable heart and/or lung conditions, significantly low white blood cells or platelet counts, bleeding tendency or considerably low blood pressure. Patients’ overall health and the seriousness of the disease are taken into consideration

What diseases can be treated with apheresis?

Apheresis therapy can be of benefit to treat autoimmune diseases, such as myasthenia gravis and hyperviscosity syndrome. Although apheresis therapy can be used to treat various autoimmune diseases, apheresis does not usually cure diseases but can help improve the patient’s quality of life. However, when apheresis is used in a therapeutic manner, the frequency of treatments, the volume of blood or components to be removed and the solution used are individualized to meet the patient’s need. Depending on all these factors, the doctor will select the appropriate number of therapy sessions for the patient.

Any inspiring stories you would like to share?

I had a 17-year-old patient who came in for therapy. When he came in, he was weak, short of breath and unable to cough. Seeing this, I quickly gave him the therapy. A short while after the therapy started, while he was still attached to the apheresis machine, he asked the nurse to call his father. After a couple of minutes, his father came in and when he saw his father he asked him one question, “Why didn’t you give me this therapy earlier?” Later on I found out that this patient was very pleased with the progress because he was already feeling better even when the therapy was still in progress. This shows that apheresis therapy can really help in improving the lives of patients, especially those suffering from autoimmune diseases.

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